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Aviation History
1954
1954 - 0566.PDF
254 FLIGHT AT THE CONTRACTORS' DINNER: A. Cdre. A. H. Wheeler, O.B.E., commanding Boscombe Down, greets Mr. A. R. W. Low, C.B.E., D.S.O., M.P., Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Sup ply. Between them is Air Chief Marshal Sir John Baker, K.C.B., M.C., D.F.C., Controller of Air craft; on the left, Mr. E. C. Bowyer, director- general of the S.B.A.C. Just entering the door, past Mr. Bowyer, is WIC. Roland Beamont, D.S.O., D.F.C. Summaries of the speeches: p. 278. FROM ALL QUARTERS Speeding Aircraftj Production :^New Plans Announced TMPORTANT new measures calculated to shorten the time •*- required for the development of new types of Service aircraft were announced in the House of Commons last Monday by Mr. Duncan Sandys, the Minister of Supply. Replying to a question from Mr. Charles Ian Orr-Ewing (Con., Hendon North), Mr. Sandys said that with the co-operation of the Secretary of State for Air and the First Lord of the Admiralty he had in the last few months been examining various schemes. It would obviously be unwise to try to hurry the creative design- work, but he had come to the conclusion that there were a number of directions in which the administrative procedure could be further streamlined. For example, he believed a quicker start could be made on a new project if the aircraft firms were brought more fully into the picture in the early formative stage. Then, again, time could undoubtedly be saved if expenditure on produc tion drawings and tooling were authorized somewhat earlier. He was consulting the industry on these and other proposals. The Government had also been considering whether anything could be done to reduce the extensive period of flying trials. In view of the major technical advances usually embodied in new aircraft, the trials programme was necessarily long and exacting. Not only had flying qualities to be tested but also complex elec tronic equipment. In addition, firing or bomb-dropping trials had to be carried out. These numerous tests invariably revealed weak nesses and defects, some of which might necessitate re-design of major components. Such trials, including the introduction of modifications, were at present taking up to three years. Some of the time was taken up by avoidable delays. It had not been uncommon for progress to be held up because a prototype aircraft, of which there were usually only one or two in existence, had been grounded for modifications, or had crashed. In order to reduce delays of this kind it was intended, in appropriate cases, to order sufficient development aircraft to allow more trials and modifications to be carried out concurrently, and to enable aircraft involved in accidents to be rapidly replaced. Accordingly, in the case of the first supersonic fighter now being developed for the Royal Air Force, his department had ordered twenty additional aircraft for development trials apart from the usual prototypes. The speeding-up of the flying trials would have the further advantage of bringing to light much sooner any defects and weak nesses there might be in the design or materials. This should result in reducing the amount of work required on retrospective modifications, which not only disorganized the production line, but added greatly to the cost. Mr. Sandys was confident that, taken together, the various changes outlined would appreciably shorten the time required to develop new aircraft and that the increased expenditure in the development stage thereby involved would largely be offset by makers' savings in production costs. Mr. Orr-Ewing congratulated the Minister on the sensible steps but wondered how much time would be saved. Mr. Sandys replied that it was difficult to be precise, but he would be disappointed if the measures did not result in getting new aircraft into service at least one year earlier. Flight is gratified to report the Minister's announcement, for many of the proposed measures are of a kind which this journal has advocated—in particular, in leading articles published on July 31st, 1953, and February 5th, 1954. The proposals present no startling novelty, and would probably have been made sooner had the Treasury been convinced that the ultimate gain would offset the initial extra cost. Aeroflot Executive's Tour THE head of the Soviet airline Aeroflot, Marshal Zhavoronkov, was reported to have said on Monday that Russia was ready for "closer civil air ties with the West," The marshal was speak ing in Stockholm, where, as the guest of S.A.S. (with whom Aeroflot have an interline agreement), he was beginning a two-day study of Swedish civil aviation. Later he was due to continue to Copenhagen, Paris and Zurich. AIR-FERRY GUIDE: These maps of the locations of the airfields used by Silver City Airways—including Ferryfield, to be opened this summer—are included in the company's new ticket-books. A great advance on anything of the kind hitherto seen, the books are, in effect, miniature travel-guides.
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